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Fibre: Superfood’s Least Sexy Cousin – Part 4

December 9, 2016

Here is the final part of a four part series on fibre! I present to you seven more practical tips on how to increase the fibre content of your diet. Try them one at a time and slowly build new high-fibre habits in what you eat! And don’t forget to drink lots of water as you do. 1. Replace half of the white flour with whole wheat flour in baking recipes 2. Try legumes for snacks a. Examples include roast chickpeas or steamed edamame beans, which are both very easy to make at home! 3. Add barley, beans, peas or lentils to your recipes for dinners and lunches a. An example could be spaghetti sauce with black beans b. Meat doesn’t have fibre, but these plant-based proteins have plenty! 4. Rethink your drink – say goodbye to juice a. Although juice appears to be a health food it is really a processed food with all that good fibre completely removed. The fruit sugar in juice raises your blood sugar very quickly because there is no fiber (another way of saying it has a high glycemic index). Juice should be used as the occasional treat in a healthy diet, but is not a food to have every day. Have a real piece of fruit and drink water instead. 5. Eat nuts and seeds for snacks and sprinkle them on meals. For example: a. Yogurt with pumpkin seeds b. Salads with almonds c. Pasta with sunflower seeds 6. Make your own granola bars with high fibre ingredients a. Oatmeal b. Nuts c. Seeds 7. Finally, if you are still struggling to get enough fibre in your diet, you can trial adding fibre supplements: a. Bran b. Ground flax seed c. High Fibre cereal eg. All Bran d. Metamucil Warning! Increase fibre slowly and drink plenty of water as you do! You need the water to soften the fibre and allow it to travel smoothly through your GI tract. I hope that you learned plenty in this fibre series and found the tips very practical. Best of luck implementing these suggestions and get in touch if you want to have a more detailed assessment of your diet! References: Can Colorectal Cancer be Prevented? American Cancer Society. January, 20th, 2016. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/colonandrectumcancer/detailedguide/colorectal-cancer-prevention Healthy Eating Guidelines for Increasing Your Fibre Intake. Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition. September 21st, 2012. Food Sources of Soluble Fibre. Dietitians of Canada. 2013. Fibre. Canadian Diabetes Association. 2010. http://www.diabetes.ca/diabetes-and-you/healthy-living-resources/diet-nutrition/fibre#sthash.alzuk24X.dpuf. Prebiotics. EatRightOntario. http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Probiotics/prebiotics/Prebiotics.aspx#.V5bBslcl39o Preventing Colorectal Cancer. Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada. http://www.colorectal-cancer.ca/en/nutrition/nutritional/ Whole Grains. Harvard School of Public Health. 2016. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/whole-grains/

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Fibre: Superfood’s Least Sexy Cousin – Part 3

November 16, 2016

By Karalee Boschung RD(t) Let’s begin by asking ourselves – Am I getting enough fibre? The recommended intake of fibre is 25 – 38g per day. It is estimated that most Canadians do not get enough. Some estimate that fewer than 50% of Canadians meet the recommended fibre intake! How can you know you’re getting enough? Ask yourselves the following questions: How many times a day do I eat fruits or vegetables? A diet including enough fiber, will have at least seven servings of vegetables and fruit per day. A serving is half a cup of vegetables, a whole fruit, or one cup of leafy greens. What type of carbohydrates do I eat on a daily basis? Most of the carbohydrates you eat should consist of whole, intact grains. Examples include barley, brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, farro, amaranth, buckwheat etc. Other high fibre carbohydrates can be found in starchy vegetables, such as sweet potatoes or purple potatoes. Aim for at least half of your grains per day to be whole grains. How many times a week do I eat plant-based proteins (ex. beans, tofu, lentils)? Aims to get your protein from plant-based sources as much as possible, to increase fibre in your diet. If you are eating plant-based protein at 3-4 out of 7 dinners per week, you are on the right track. How much of my diet is made up of processed foods (ex. white bread, fast food, processed breakfast cereal, cookies, chips)? Processed foods should make up 20% or less of your diet. They should be used as treats but not make up the majority of your daily intake. To get enough fibre you should reduce your intake of processed foods as much as possible. After answering those questions, how are you doing with fibre intake? Are your habits fibre-rich? Or do you need to work on a few things? Here are 6 ways to easily increase your fibre intake: Cut the fluff and switch to whole grains! Bread – the first ingredient listed should be whole wheat, whole rye whole oats etcetera. Look out for “brown bread” that is just white bread colored brown with molasses! Cereal – ditch highly processed breakfast cereals and get whole, intact grains instead. Experiment with steel cut oats, quinoa, buckwheat, barley and more whole grains for breakfast! Start switching out white rice or pasta with whole-grains at lunch and dinner. There are many delicious, nutty-tasting grains out there! Make it your goal to try a new one each month to get familiar with all the options, and see how easy (and inexpensive!) it is to add whole grains into your diet. Get rid of processed foods in your snacks and have…

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The Benefits of Foam Rolling

May 29, 2016

Posture is a necessary component in the success of any movement-based activity in daily living. Whether simply bending over to pick up a box from the floor or running a marathon, movement efficiency depends on postural quality (1, 2, and 3). According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) poor posture during repetitive movements can generate dysfunction and inefficiencies within the muscles of the body (3). Musculoskeletal dysfunction is defined as any trauma to the tissues leads to inflammation (2, 3). Following inflammation, a series of internal events subsequently occurs beginning first with increased tension in the muscles often leading to muscle spasm. This is a protective mechanism against pain and further trauma. Spasms within the muscle can lead to the generation of knot-like structures within the soft tissue of the muscles in the area of dysfunction and trauma. These knots are also referred to as “trigger points” or “adhesions” (1, 2, and 3). Knots can decrease muscular elasticity, IE the stretchiness of the muscle, therein increasing tightness and ultimately making the muscle less efficient in daily motion. Additionally, the continuation of trauma-inducing motions can lead to altered movement patterns. During motion the musculoskeletal system will move along the path of least resistance, which is termed relative flexibility (3). However, with the presence of knots the body will produce motion in such a way that effectively avoids pain and discomfort. This can decrease the efficiency of movement within daily activity and physiologically decrease the ability of the muscles to contract optimally therein. According to NASM, self-myofascial release (SMR) also known as foam rolling, may be a useful tool in the prevention and treatment of movement-based soft tissue dysfunction. SMR can be used to release micro spasms within the muscle and break up the adhesive knots which follow them (1, 3). SMR can be used to alleviate the side effects of active or latent adhesive knots through applying external pressure onto the location where muscle tension is felt (3). This can gradually lead to the breakdown of adhesions by forcefully stimulating the receptors within the affected muscle. Breaking down adhesive knots within the muscle can help to correct dysfunction within the human movement system. Here is an example of three SMR exercises that can be done with a standard cylindrical foam roller (3): 1) The Calves: While seated, place one leg directly onto the foam roller at the top of the heel. Place the off-leg on top of the on-leg with the hands placed behind the body for support. Gradually begin pushing forward and backward so that the roller begins at the heel and moves upward to the base of the knee. Roll in a Y-Shape such that the stem…

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Improving Running Enjoyment through Circuit Training and Stretching

April 11, 2016

Many individuals today enjoy running as a source of recreational fitness, while others use running as a form of competition. Both sets of individuals may find that they have more than just their love of running in common. Many distance runners frequently experience low back pain as a result of consistent compressive loads being place on the vertebrae, sacroiliac joint, and knees. Unfortunately this pain can worsen over time as repetitive motions like that of running can lead to gradual degeneration of the body’s tissues (1). More specifically, the forces from repetitive motions like running will cause the body to fatigue and gradually alter an individual’s postural alignment. Thankfully there is a viable means of preserving the body while still enjoying long distance running as a primary source of exercise. Two methods that will be highlighted are examples supplemental exercises to reduce the strain of running on the back and joints. These methods include the use of circuit training to strengthen the muscles surrounding the joints, and stretching to improve the dynamic flexibility of those muscles after they have been worked. Circuit training involves completing multiple exercises sequentially followed by taking rest at the end of one full cycle. This, and other methods of weight bearing activities are an effective method for improving joint stability and mobility (1). Circuit training is also an effective method for burning calories while keeping exercises exciting and engaging. Resistance-based exercise also contributes to a reduction in the amount of joint pain being experienced from aerobic activity. This occurs gradually as the muscles surrounding joints become stronger at locations like those of the hip, knee, and ankle. Generally, as muscles become more efficient through regular exercise, the posture of the participant begins to improve. Postural improvements give the body more beneficial angles at the joints, and allow for potentially fewer movement errors during activity (1). These will each contribute to better joint motion and a decreased likelihood of injury from poor joint positioning. One location is at the base of the pelvis where the sciatic nerve is located. The sciatic nerve is commonly aggravated by the pulling of muscles like that of the pyriformis, a muscle of the hip active in external rotation, from a high volume of repetitive activities like running. Therefore, by incorporating a circuit with exercises that strengthen the core and the muscles surround the hip, knee, and ankle, the pull on the sciatic nerve can be lessened. In conjunction with this, a method often referred to static stretching will serve to effectively release the tension of the muscles, which are pulling at that area. This is the importance of flexibility training which is often over looked; in effect, the alleviation of…

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